Life Changes Following Military Separation or Retirement

Active duty personnel who are preparing to separate or retire from the military will not only be ending their career with the military. They will also be making a tremendous life change. Reaching this decision is not the same as choosing to switch from one job to a more suitable position. Leaving the military involves more than just hanging up your uniform and getting used to being called “Mr.”, “Miss” or “Mrs”. It is a complete life change. For some retiring active duty personnel, this can be the first transition to civilian life that they have ever known, since their teenage years.

Identity crisis

One of the biggest shocks that separating or retiring active duty personnel have to cope with is their loss of military identity. As active duty, they had a rank and knew where they slotted into place in the chain of command. But upon the date of their separation or retirement, one thing that they will not be able to take with them is their rank. They will no longer be entitled to sign their e-mails “Sgt Smith” or “Capt Lewis”. Once personnel get used to this concept, they can then make the transition more easily. During active duty, some people may not even be overly concerned about who they are, as they had a place and position. But gradually building a new life outside the military before leaving can help to cushion the blow. Making friends with civilians and getting involved in non-military community events is one way that can help with this identity crisis, so that members are not completely reliant upon the military for their identity. This will enable military personnel to see and explore a life outside their base or camp. Military life can be very insular, which is a comfort for many while they are on active duty, but in some ways it does not prepare people for the reality of civilian life.

Settling down

The two main reasons why people join the military is to receive free funding for higher education and to see the world. But all this will change once a person leaves the military. Some funding for education may still be available, but it will no longer be free. The world will still be there to see, but the military will no longer pay for tours to far flung corners of the globe. During even a short time in the military, active duty personnel get the opportunity to be stationed in different countries. Regular moves every few years soon become the norm. But a return to civilian life is more static and tends to involve staying in the same home for a few, if not many years. This is often a hard concept to get used to. Working a 9:00-5:00pm job is not the same as being sent to another country for training or on a deployment. However, one of the benefits of this is that parents and spouses can spend more time together, rather than cope for months at a time apart.